Thai Arpichaya Yubol pounced on Yuka Saso’s backside meltdown and rallied from three down with nine holes left then checked her own collapse at the finish with a closing birdie to nip the Fil-Japanese amateur by one with a 71 for the ICTSI Manila Golf Ladies Classic crown at the Manila Golf Club yesterday.

Yubol cashed in on Saso’s four-birdie stumble in a five-hole stretch from No. 12 to grab the lead then recovered from a bogey on the 17th with a clutch putt from 10 feet to clinch the crown as Saso cracked under pressure and fell short of her playoff bid from eight feet on the 18th for a 72.

It was a stirring triumph for Yubol, who tied Saso with a 68 after 36 holes but never got discouraged even after the reigning Asian Games gold medalist threatened to blow up the field with a solid three-under card after 10 holes to lead by three.

Taiwanese amateur Tzu-Yi Chang, actually the surprise second round leader, reeled back with back-to-back bogeys from No. 2 but wheeled back into contention after Saso floundered, only to fade with bogeys in the last two holes for a 75.

“I’m very happy but it’s quite surprising (to win). I really didn’t expect to win since this is my first time here and I’m not familiar with the course,” said Yubol, who pooled a four-under 209 total in the 54-hole championship co-sanctioned by the LPGA of Taiwan and Ladies Philippine Golf Tour and pocketed the top $17,500 prize out of the total pot of $100,000 put up by ICTSI.

It was a sorry finish for Saso, who appeared headed to duplicating her romp in retaining the Philippine Ladies Amateur Open crown here at MGC last February with a flawless card after 10 holes. But the 17-year-old ace, who also came into the event brimming with confidence following a joint third runner-up effort in last week’s Augusta National Women’s Amateur in Georgia, lost her touch and rhythm, bogeying Nos. 12, 13, 15 and 16 then missing her birdie bids in the last two holes to settle for second at 210.

“I was playing at the front but bad breaks derailed my game at the back. But that’s golf,” said Saso, who threatened to pull away with birdies on Nos. 4, 7 and 10 inside five feet.

Yubol’s victory also underscored Thailand’s domination of the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., joining compatriots Yupaporn Kawinpakorn (Pradera Verde) and Thanutra Boonraksasat (Southwoods) in the winners’ circle with six legs left in the seventh season of LPGT. The Thais also won six of 11 tournaments last season.

Hsuan Chen, also of Taiwan, matched par 71 and tied Chang at third at 212 but claimed the runner-up prize worth $11,500 with Singapore’s Koh Sock-Hwee ending up fifth at 213 after a 68 and received $7,000.

“I played bad and couldn’t find a way to fix it. It’s quite unfortunate that it happed in the final round,” rued Chang, who dislodged Saso from the top with a second round 65.

Thai Pimpadsorn Sangkagaro limped with a 73 and dropped to sixth at 214 while 2017 LPGT Order of Merit champion Pauline del Rosario carded a second straight 72 and tied for seventh at 215 with Thai Chommapat Pongthanarak (72) and Japanese Mina Nakayama (75).

Taiwanese Hsin Lee and Yui Noritomi shared 10th place at 216 after a 71 and 76, respectively, while reigning LPGT OOM winner Princess Superal closed out the way she started, hobbling with a 74 and winding up at joint 21st with Japanese Wakana Kinjo (74) at 220 in the event backed by Custom Clubmakers, Meralco, K&G Golf Apparel, BDO, Sharp, KZG, PLDT, Empire Golf and Sports and M.Y. Shokai Technology, Inc,